https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news.atomTrusted Health Products - Dental News2018-10-26T13:43:00-04:00Trusted Health Productshttps://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/can-tooth-loss-indicate-malnutrition2018-10-26T13:43:00-04:002018-10-26T13:43:29-04:00Can Tooth Loss Indicate Malnutrition?Admin EditorMore]]>
Older adults are at risk for both impaired oral health and malnutrition, says a new study by Rutgers University researchers. The study, published in the Journal of Aging Research and Clinical Practice, analyzed the health records of 107 community-dwelling senior citizens treated at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine clinic between 2015 and 2016. The results showed that more than 25 percent of the patients had malnutrition or were at risk for malnutrition.

The researchers saw a trend in which patients with 10 to 19 teeth were more likely to be at risk for malnutrition. Those patients classified as having malnutrition had higher rates of weight loss, ate less and more frequently reported that they suffered with dementia and/or depression and severe illnesses than those who had a normal nutrition status. “The mouth is the entry way for food and fluid intake,” said lead author Rena Zelig, director of the Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition Program at Rutgers School of Health Professions. “If its integrity is impaired, the functional ability of an individual to consume an adequate diet may be adversely impacted.”

Nutritional Status Screenings

Although further studies need to examine the relationships between tooth loss and malnutrition risk, Zelig said the findings show that dental clinics are ideal locations to perform nutritional status screenings as they can identify patients who may not regularly visit a primary care provider and who may be at risk for malnutrition. “Clinicians also can provide patients with referrals to registered dietitians and community assistance programs such as Meals on Wheels to prevent further decline in nutritional status,” she said.

This was the first part of a mixed-methods grant to research the associations between tooth loss and nutritional status in older adults. The second part of the grant built on these results and qualitatively studied the eating experience and eating-related quality of life of community-dwelling older adults using qualitative interviews. The study sets the stage for further research to examine the relationships between tooth loss and malnutrition risk and the impact of tooth loss on the eating experience and eating-related quality of life.

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https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/florida-mother-impersonates-ostrich-child-suffers2018-10-21T03:45:29-04:002018-10-21T03:45:29-04:00Florida Mother Impersonates Ostrich, Child SuffersadminThis should be in the national spotlight, as it's a real example of the tragedy that can occur when oral hygiene and care are neglected. It's not the childs fault, but this mother should be made an example of. It honestly makes me sick to my stomach to know that there are people out there who could care so little about their own child. This is a dark day as far as I'm concerned. I don't even want to begin to speculate what White was doing with her money that she couldn't take her child to the dentist. I blame her,unlike many who have blamed the government and health care systems, which while at fault to some extent do not overshadow the neglect of this mother. I'm sure there are dozens more cases just like this out there that are never reported.

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https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/uw-study-shows-natural-sweetener-xylitol-can-prevent-tooth-decay2018-10-21T03:45:28-04:002018-10-21T03:45:28-04:00UW Study Shows Natural Sweetener Xylitol Can Prevent Tooth DecayadminMore]]>
Especially in low income, low educational areas xylitol may very well be a cheaper alternative to preventing tooth decay, which plagues these areas more so than others. Dr. Peter Milgrom has conducted a small test using xylitol syrup with babies which has shown a significant reduction in the number of babies developing cavities. A concentrated dose, multiple times daily is the key to success with this, and it may very well become a part of standard dental care and preventative dentistry.

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https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/study-link-gum-disease-bacteria-arthritis2018-10-21T03:44:40-04:002018-10-21T03:44:40-04:00STUDY The Link Between Gum Disease Bacteria And ArthritisadminA study conducted by the University of Louisvilles School of Dentistry and an international group of scientists from the European Unions Gums and Joints project says a link between oral health and rheumatoid arthritis has been discovered or in their words - that porphyromonas gingivalis bacterium heightens the progression of rheumatoid arthritis.

Scientists discovered that P. gingivalis is responsible for an enzyme peptidylarginine deiminanse or PAD which encourages a specific collagen-induced type of arthritis which has similarities with rheumatoid arthritis. PAD converts some proteins into citrulline which the body reads as intruders - causing an immune attack.

For patients suffering with rheumatoid arthritis this causes chronic inflammation which in turn causes the destruction of the cartilage and bone within the joints. Because of this, reasearchers cite a connection between periodontal disease and poor dental hygiene and an increase in the affects of rheumatoid arthritis.

Although the link may seem apparent it will need to be confirmed by further research, according to Jan Potempa, a researcher and study collaborator from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Oral Health and Systemic Diseases. However, this could hopefully lead to better treatment and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis a development that could relieve the need for orthopedic surgery for some patients.

Prior to this study, other research projects have also found a link between oral health and rheumatoid arthritis. Several found that the condition is more prevalent among those who have gum disease. This study also joins an increasingly large body of evidence that supports the link between oral health and other systemic illnesses.

Periodontal Disease And Heart Health

Several recent studies have also suggested that brushing your teeth is a cheap and powerful weapon against heart attacks, strokes, and other heart disease conditions, according to WebMD. There are a lot of studies that suggest that oral health - and gum disease in particular - are related to serious conditions like heart disease, says Sally Cram, DDS and spokeswoman for the American Dental Association.

And although the evidence isnt clear yet that brushing and flossing prevents heart disease, it is intriguing according to experts who claim people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to have coronary artery disease. One study even found that the presence of common mouth problems gum disease, cavities, missing teeth were as good at predicting heart disease as cholesterol levels are.

Gum Disease Overview

Gingivitis, also generally called gum disease or periodontal disease, begins with bacterial growth in your mouth and may end - if not properly treated - with tooth loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your teeth. While plaque is the primary cause of gum disease, other factors can contribute to periodontal disease including hormonal changes, illnesses, medications, bad habits, poor oral hygiene habits and a family history of dental disease.

The symptoms of gum disease include gums that bleed during and after tooth brushing; red, swollen or tender gums; persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth; receding gums; formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums; loose or shifting teeth; and changes in the way teeth fit together upon biting down or in the fit of partial dentures.

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https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/declining-oral-health-linked-major-health-issues2018-10-21T03:44:40-04:002018-10-21T03:44:40-04:00Declining Oral Health Linked To Major Health IssuesadminPoor dental health often leads to pain and issues within the mouth, but the impacts can have implications far beyond the mouth and teeth. The mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause a variety of issues if it goes unchecked. It is important to always reiterate to your patients the importance of their dental health as it is related to their overall health, and how the two are linked.

Daily brushing and flossing may seem like enough, but optimal oral health is best achieved through regular visits with dental professionals. Most oral hygiene issues start small and are unnoticeable to an untrained eye. Over time, problems become magnified and lead to the need for more extensive dental work.

Poor oral hygiene historically has been suspected of causing greater health issues, and more recently has been linked to heart disease, women having pre-term babies with low birth weight, and new studies show links to Alzheimers disease, according to the British Dental Health Foundation. An inherent fear of the dentist, rising healthcare costs, and busy schedules prevent many people from seeking routine and preventative dental care, but dentists urge people not to underestimate the importance of a healthy mouth.

In addition, dental problems can cause cosmetic issues which can impact self-esteem and mental health. Overall health and oral hygiene go hand in hand, as medical issues also compromise oral health, like diabetes making certain people more susceptible to oral health problems.

Much like eating balanced meals and exercising, proper dental care and hygiene should be part of a healthy lifestyle.

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid toothpaste and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD and OraMD Extra-Strength! ]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/7-ways-can-build-pediatric-dental-practice2018-10-21T03:44:28-04:002018-10-21T03:44:28-04:007 Ways You Can Build A Pediatric Dental PracticeadminBuilding a pediatric dental practice is easy to do when you stick with some tried and true methods that are required to grow and compete in todays pediatric dental marketplace.

There are many cost-effective approaches to implement that will help you create the perfect environment for satisfied and engaged patients - who tell everyone about you.

Why not make oral health fun for children? We all know that it can be difficult to get kids to brush their teeth and floss. By creating and implementing a regular checkup rewards program, you will encourage kids to take better care of their teeth. People love reward systems, especially kids.

One idea for a reward program would be to give a discount for not having any cavities or other dental health issues. Not only does it encourage regular checkups and patient compliance, but it also encourages life-long positive dental care habits. Or have patients send images to you every month or two to make sure they are taking great care of their teeth.

2) Use Social Media

Just about everybody you know uses social media in one form or another, so why not take advantage of it? Social media is a way to extend the relationships that you have with your patients and engage with them more frequently. No longer do your patients have to wait for a recall card or message - now they can learn about special offers, hear whats new at the practice, learn a fun fact and much more. When used properly, social media can help you deliver exceptional customer service, while increasing patient trust. Be sure to stick with it and spread the word through specials, contests, and giveaways.

On top of that, social media will help you gather valuable research through customer insights. Feedback is a great way to measure the success of your social media efforts which you can easily adjust as needed. Get someone on your staff to spend a little time each week crafting and scheduling posts to Facebook, Twitter and more to make sure youre in front of your patients regularly. Then promote your social media presence on statements, recall cards, emails and more.

3) Unique Content Creation

This may seem obvious, but building a website starts with content. The whole purpose of the Internet is to share information, and if your website doesn't contain much information, well, let's just say people won't be staying on your site long enough to care about why you made it in the first place. Sure, they can get your address and phone number, but it can be so much more.

Creating great content that people actually want to read will go a long way to having patients engaged and spreading the word about your practice. If you can provide an experience that people enjoy, then you're going to see those same people write about and link to your website. This is how the Internet works, plain and simple. Adding a blog to your site is a great way to start driving more traffic and this is something many web hosts or site developers can help with. Just make sure you stick with it.

4) Make Sure Patients And Parents Can Find You

No one uses the yellow pages anymore. They look on their phone or online for local listings. Make sure that your practice is listed across a number of key directories. Its also important to include your practice on third-party review sites such as Yelp and Healthgrades. Many people will look for a new dentist on these sites, and if you can get your patients to review you there, it will drive many new patients into your dental chairs.

5) Have A Good Office Marketing Campaign

How many new patients or treatment proposals have you lost this year because your front desk or office staff dropped the ball? Most of the leads for your practice are going to come in on the phone, and no matter how good your digital campaign is, you will still need a person to convert that lead into a new patient or accepted case. This is where training comes in. Your front desk staff will need to be aware of your digital marketing efforts, and they will need to be trained on how to convert. It is important that everyone in your practice be on the same page when it comes to marketing and the importance of building the practice.

It is important for your potential patients to find out what other patients think of your practice, and this can be accomplished by having testimonials on your website. Your front desk staff can help to source testimonials from existing patients. Remember to be creative, there's a lot of ways to get your patients involved with your marketing efforts.

6) Use Technology

Marketing aside, be sure to stay up to date on the latest trends, gadgets and technologies available for your practice. Dentists tend to be focused on tools and materials that are used in-office, but the latest trend in health involves self-monitoring. An example is the home dental monitoring system - an intraoral camera and software system that allows patients to capture images and securely share them with your practice. Parents love the way it changes the brushing routine at home, and engaged patients are more likely to visit your office on a regular basis.

7) Promote Charitable Efforts

One of the most cost-effective and fun ways to build your practice is to get involved in your community through charitable efforts. Not only do you gain free publicity, new strategic partnerships, and friends, but you also become a thought leader and well-respected voice in your community. Plus, your entire staff is likely to enjoy the experience and feel good by doing good.

There are endless ideas to get involved with charities and have fun while youre doing it. One way is to host a charitable event for pay what you can care and promote it to the local news. Volunteer to provide oral health care and hygiene tips to local schools or youth groups to encourage good oral health care from an early age on. Whatever you do, make sure you align yourself with respectable organizations or charities and get the word out. Tie it into your social media campaign to generate more connections and support. Maybe find an eye doctor who could share some costs and provide a vision and dental day.

There are so many ways to build your pediatric dental practice. By utilizing online platforms, tools, technologies, and strategies to engage with your patients, you will build a solid foundation in which your practice can grow from. The most important thing is to get started and stick with it.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/lead-teeth-can-reveal2018-10-21T03:44:28-04:002018-10-21T03:44:28-04:00What Lead In Your Teeth Can Reveal About Youadmin
A study led by University of Florida geology researcher George D. Kamenov shows that trace amounts of lead in modern and historical human teeth can give clues about where they came from. The paper - published in the August issue of Science of The Total Environment reveals that your teeth can tell stories about you - and not just that you always forget to floss.

The discovery could help police solve cold cases, Kamenov said. For instance, if an unidentified decomposed body is found, testing the lead in the teeth could immediately help focus the investigation on a certain geographic area. That way, law enforcement can avoid wasting resources checking for missing persons in the wrong places. "We can use this pollution signal to figure out where these people came from," he said.

Lead is composed of four variants, called isotopes. The amount of those isotopes fluctuates in different rocks, soils and ores - and, therefore, regions of the world. Mining and other pollution-causing activities release that lead into the environment, and it accumulates in children's bodies as they grow because kids inhale dust and ingest soil when they put their hands in their mouths. Tooth enamel, which develops during childhood, locks in the lead signals and preserves them.

"When you grow up, you record the signal of the local environment," Kamenov said. "If you move somewhere else, your isotope will be distinct from the local population." Even different teeth can reveal certain facts.

First molar enamel is finished forming by age 3, so it provides information about birth and toddler years. Incisor and canine enamel starts later and finishes around age 5, so it gives insight into early childhood. The third molar enamel does not start forming until age 8, so it indicates late childhood residences.

Lead analysis can also tell what time period a body is from. Modern and historical teeth have different signals, according to the study. The natural composition of lead changed over the past century because of mining and the use of leaded gasoline, so there's a clear distinction between modern and historical human exposure.

Using that information, archaeologists can identify early European bodies in New World areas. "You can go back in time, look at archaeological sites and try to reconstruct human migration," Kamenov said.

But modern American teeth are like no others in the world, according to the study. Whereas available data for areas such as South America overlap with Europe, American teeth can be identified anywhere due to usage of ores with distinct isotope signals in the United States. "What's in the environment goes into your body," Kamenov said.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/research-finds-tooth-enamel-fast-track-humans2018-10-21T03:44:27-04:002018-10-21T03:44:27-04:00Research Finds Tooth Enamel Fast-Track In Humansadmin
Research has discovered a link between prenatal enamel growth rates in teeth and weaning in human babies. The research found that incisor teeth grow quickly in the early stages of the second trimester of a baby's development, while molars grow at a slower rate in the third trimester. This is so incisors are ready to erupt after birth, at approximately six months of age, when a baby makes the transition from breast-feeding to weaning.

Weaning in humans takes place relatively early compared to some primates, such as chimpanzees. As a result, there is less time available for human incisors to form, so the enamel grows rapidly to compensate. This research can increase our understanding of weaning in our fossil ancestors and could also help dentists as dental problems do not register in all teeth in the same way. Enamel cells deposit new tissue at different times and different rates, depending on the tooth type.

Exactly when early weaning in humans first began is a hotly debated topic amongst anthropologists. Current dental approaches rely on finding fossil skulls with teeth that are still erupting - which is an extremely rare find. Anthropologists will now be able to explore the start of weaning in an entirely new way because milk teeth preserve a record of prenatal enamel growth after they have erupted and for millennia after death.

Lead In Teeth Tells A Lot

Your teeth can also tell stories about you, and not just that you always forget to floss. A recent study led by University of Florida geology researcher George D. Kamenov showed that trace amounts of lead in modern and historical human teeth can give clues about where they came from. The paper appeared in Science of The Total Environment.

The discovery could help police solve cold cases, Kamenov said. For instance, if an unidentified decomposed body is found, testing the lead in the teeth could immediately help focus the investigation on a certain geographic area. That way, law enforcement can avoid wasting resources checking for missing persons in the wrong places. "We can use this pollution signal to figure out where these people came from," he said.

Lead is composed of four variants, called isotopes. The amount of those isotopes fluctuates in different rocks, soils and ores - and, therefore, regions of the world. Mining and other pollution-causing activities release that lead into the environment, and it accumulates in children's bodies as they grow because kids inhale dust and ingest soil when they put their hands in their mouths. Tooth enamel, which develops during childhood, locks in the lead signals and preserves them.

"When you grow up, you record the signal of the local environment," Kamenov said. "If you move somewhere else, your isotope will be distinct from the local population."

Even different teeth can reveal certain facts. First molar enamel is finished forming by age 3, so it provides information about birth and toddler years. Incisor and canine enamel starts later and finishes around age 5, so it gives insight into early childhood. The third molar enamel does not start forming until age 8, so it indicates late childhood residences.

Lead analysis can also tell what time period a body is from. Modern and historical teeth have different signals, according to the study. The natural composition of lead changed over the past century because of mining and the use of leaded gasoline, so there's a clear distinction between modern and historical human exposure. Using that information, archaeologists can identify early European bodies in New World areas.

"You can go back in time, look at archaeological sites and try to reconstruct human migration," Kamenov said. But modern American teeth are like no others in the world, according to the study. Whereas available data for areas such as South America overlap with Europe, American teeth can be identified anywhere due to usage of ores with distinct isotope signals in the United States.

"What's in the environment goes into your body," Kamenov said.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/tooth-loss-linked-slowing-mind-body2018-10-21T03:44:27-04:002018-10-21T03:44:27-04:00Tooth Loss Linked To Slowing Mind And BodyadminThe memory and walking speeds of adults who have lost all of their teeth decline more rapidly than in those who still have some of their own teeth, finds new UCL research.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, looked at 3,166 adults aged 60 or over from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and compared their performance in tests of memory and walking speed. The results showed that the people with none of their own teeth performed approximately 10% worse in both memory and walking speed tests than the people with teeth.

The association between total tooth loss and memory was explained after the results were fully adjusted for a wide range of factors, such as sociodemographic characteristics, existing health problems, physical health, health behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, depression, relevant biomarkers, and particularly socioeconomic status. However, after adjusting for all possible factors, people without teeth still walked slightly slower than those with teeth.

These links between older adults in England losing all natural teeth and having poorer memory and worse physical function 10 years later were more evident in adults aged 60 to 74 years than in those aged 75 and older.

"Tooth loss could be used as an early marker of mental and physical decline in older age, particularly among 60-74 year-olds," says lead author Dr Georgios Tsakos (UCL Epidemiology & Public Health). "We find that common causes of tooth loss and mental and physical decline are often linked to socioeconomic status, highlighting the importance of broader social determinants such as education and wealth to improve the oral and general health of the poorest members of society.

"Regardless of what is behind the link between tooth loss and decline in function, recognizing excessive tooth loss presents an opportunity for early identification of adults at higher risk of faster mental and physical decline later in their life. There are many factors to influence this decline, such as lifestyle and psychosocial factors, which are likely to change."]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/aware-risk-management-tips-can-possibly-prevent-dental-malpractice-suit2018-10-21T03:44:26-04:002018-10-21T03:44:26-04:00Are You Aware Of These Risk Management Tips That Can Possibly Prevent A Dental Malpractice Suit?adminGood dental risk management can prevent or minimize some malpractice claims and provide a better defense for the others. There are a number of clinical techniques that can be used to minimize the chance that an object will be ingested or aspirated during treatment.

They include:

Rubber dam arguably the best preventive device; however, it is not always possible or practical to use

Pharyngeal gauze block

High velocity evacuator to remove tooth and restoration fragments

Dental floss tied to rubber dam clamps and other small instruments; tied around bridges

More upright chair position

Modified patient head position turn the patients head toward the side of treatment, allowing objects or debris to fall onto the buccal mucosa or into the buccal vestibule

Other preventive steps include good patient communication and proper staff training.

Warn patients that temporary crowns can loosen and unseat.

Provide written home care instructions to patients who have received a temporary crown.

Develop an action plan to respond to in-office swallowed and aspirated object incidents and train your staff on its implementation. A recent Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) article proposes an office protocol. See JADA, May 2014

Train all office personnel in basic life support, including the Heimlich maneuver.

If you do run into a problem, remember to contact your malpractice insurance agent in a timely manner to report the swallowed or aspirated object incident.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/flabby-gums-worse-flabby-abs2018-10-21T03:44:26-04:002018-10-21T03:44:26-04:00Flabby Gums Are Worse Than Flabby AbsadminWhen you hear your dentist or dental hygienist reciting numbers while the inside of your mouth is being examined you may think your teeth are being counted. Not so. Your gum health is actually being assessed.

Gum health can be assessed with a calibrated dental instrument, says Martin Hogan, DDS, Loyola University Medical Center. The pocket between the gum and the tooth or root is measured. Dentists will often take measurements of the pocket depth to get a feel for the health of a patient's gum tissue. Healthy gum tissue will usually yield numbers of less than 4 mm. Higher numbers indicate that the tissue is inflamed and some dental treatment may be necessary."

Typically, 1 to 3 millimeters is healthy, 4 is a warning and anything over 5 is a call to action to prevent disease. When a 5 or 6 millimeter pocket is recorded, a deep cleaning may be recommended. Patients are numbed and we use special instruments to remove the buildup, Hogan says. Patients at risk are then scheduled for a regular cleaning every three months until their gum health has improved. In rare instances when numbers are higher, gum surgery is conducted. The gums are flapped back for better access during cleaning and then sutured together, says Hogan, who regularly performs dental surgery at Loyola Center for Oral Health. Many patients return to regular activity, including work, immediately. The stitches are removed later and healing is assessed.

Gums recede and become inflamed or infected due to a buildup of bacteria. All particles such as food and drink that enter the mouth can potentially lead to inflammation and decay if they are not removed properly. Particles often are trapped between the teeth and gum, thats why we use toothbrushes to sweep out the buildup.

Gum disease and tooth decay account for about 90 percent of tooth loss, according to the American Dental Association. The good news is that gum disease is largely preventable through regular brushing, flossing and dental cleanings, says Hogan. The bad news is that not many people like flossing their teeth and many brush improperly.

Manipulating strands of dental floss may be awkward for many. Individual picks with single use dental floss are easy to maneuver inside the mouth and are inexpensive, says Hogan. Many toothbrushes have a rubber pick at the end. A swish of mouthwash also is good to remove extra debris trapped in teeth.

Both do not replace brushing. Dental work can be expensive and take time away from work and other activities. This is why we continue to stress preventative measures such as brushing, flossing and routine dental visits, in hopes of avoiding costly and time consuming procedures," says Hogan.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/new-research-closer-look-tooth-fillings-materials2018-10-21T03:44:23-04:002018-10-21T03:44:23-04:00New Research: A Closer Look At Tooth Fillings Materialsadmin
Tooth decay is a serious health problem and it is often necessary to repair cavities. Today they often use a composite filling material made of acrylate compounds, as it resembles the color of the teeth and is reasonably strong so it can handle the rigors of the powerful chewing movements. But composite filling materials have some disadvantages and now researchers are working on an interdisciplinary collaboration between physicists and dentists to develop a material comprised of glass ionomer cement. The results are published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.

Amalgam - also called silver amalgam filling - is a reasonably strong material, but the disadvantage of silver amalgam is that they contain mercury, which can poison the environment. So they have mostly moved away from silver amalgam. Today, composites are usually used, but one of the drawbacks of many composites is that the fillings need to be replaced more frequently in patients that have a tendency to get many cavities.

Another drawback is that composite materials require the use of an adhesive to bond the filling to the tooth and this makes the filling process more vulnerable. An interdisciplinary team of researchers decided therefore to develop a new alternative mercury-free material. The choice fell on glass ionomer cement.

"Glass ionomer cement has the advantage that it does not need an intermediate layer of adhesive to bond to the tooth and it also has the interesting property in that it releases fluoride, which of course helps to prevent cavities (caries), says Ana Benetti, dentist and researcher at the Odontological Institute at the University of Copenhagen. The material also has good biological properties, while it is almost as strong. Our research therefore focuses on understanding the connection between the microstructure of the material and its strength in order to improve its properties."

Glass ionomer cement also has the property that when pulverized can be mixed with a liquid by hand without the use of special equipment. This material does not need to be illuminated with a lamp to harden, which is necessary for composite materials. This is a great advantage in remote areas without electricity such as Africa, China or South America.

Different Mixing Methods

The researchers studied two kinds of glass ionomer cement. The cement itself is the same, but a mix of acids was blended into one of them. They used two different kinds of liquids to mix the cement powder - either ordinary water or water mixed with an acidic mixture. The question now was whether it was best to mix the acid up with the cement powder or with the water?

They now carried out a series of experiments where they not only studied the cement, but also studied them as fillings inserted into teeth - teeth that had been pulled out and were no longer sitting in anyone's mouth.

"First, we took X-rays of the teeth with the cement fillings, said Heloisa Bordallo, associate professor and materials researcher at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen. They show the structure of the material. Glass ionomer cement is porous and you can get an accurate image in 3D, which shows the microstructure.

That it is okay for the material to be porous, but it is not ok for there to be liquid in the pores as it can make it easier for the fillings to break, she added. So the next thing they did was take pictures with neutron scattering. Neutrons are good at showing where there are hydrogen atoms, which are found in all liquids.

Studies Complement Each Other

Both the X-ray and neutron experiments were carried out at the Helmholtz-Zentrum facilities in Berlin in collaboration with Markus Strobl, a materials researcher at the European Spallation Source, ESS and affiliated professor at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen.

By comparing the X-rays with the neutron images, they could now see whether the pores were dry or filled with liquid. It is not just the number of pores that determine the strength of a material. The strength or weakness lies in how the liquid moves around or attaches to the material itself. So the researchers repeated the experiments at research facilities in England and France over the course of many days in order to follow the chemical reactions that took place during the hardening.

"Experiments showed that the combination where the acid is mixed up in the cement, so you only have to add water to the cement powder is the weakest material, Bordallo said. You get the strongest material by having cement powder mixed with water that has had acid added to it. So it is better to have the acid in the water - it helps to bind the liquid faster and stronger to the cement and there is less water in the pores."

There is still too much loose liquid in the pores, so now the research is continuing with new mixtures where they will try adding natural minerals to the cement.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/periodontist-designed-device-helps-dentists-protect-patients-hearing2018-10-21T03:44:23-04:002018-10-21T03:44:23-04:00Periodontist-Designed Device Helps Dentists Protect Patients Hearingadmin
The American Dental Association recommends dental professionals use hearing protection while using dental equipment because numerous published studies have shown that dental professionals suffer from poorer hearing than non-noise exposed medical professionals. This exposure to high frequency equipment noise is unavoidable for dental professionals, and over a period of years this exposure can gradually damage the hair cells in the inner ear, which can produce tinnitus and hearing loss.

One of our first questions was how can we reduce the chronic annoyance of the dental hand piece, suction, and laboratory sounds, without blocking our communication with patients and staff? said Dr. Sam Shamardi, periodontist and founder of Dental Innovations, a company established to bring clinical and technological solutions to the dental environment. We sought to provide a solution to this serious, yet unaddressed occupational hazard. We have too many colleagues who have acquired hearing loss over years of practice, and wanted to prevent that from happening.

Electronic Earplugs

The DI-15 earplugs are "active" earplugs powered by small batteries, which means that they restore soft sounds that are lost when its eartips seal off the ear canals, and automatically activate and attenuate when protection is needed. These high-fidelity earplugs contain high-definition transducers: balanced-armature drivers, high-sensitivity microphones, and advanced adaptive compression signal processing. The bandwidth (40 Hz - 16 kHz) is unprecedented, says the company, and the sound quality exceeds that of all known electronic earplugs and all modern digital hearing devices.

Advanced circuitry in DI-15 electronic earplugs automatically changes output levels as sound input levels change, which means that as environmental sound becomes unsafe, the earplugs automatically lower sound to safer levels. They then provide natural hearing when sound levels are safe and theres no need to remove the earplugs to hear clearly.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/dental-practice-tips-continued-success2018-10-21T03:44:22-04:002018-10-21T03:44:22-04:00Dental Practice Tips For Continued SuccessadminThere are many aspects to running a successful dental practice and the way you manage yours will leave a lasting impression on your patients as well as impact your retention success and bottom line. Heres a few tips to always keep in mind as you continue to build and grow your practice.

Keep Your Staff Happy

It is important that each employee is on the same page and working towards the same goal. Remember to continuously keep your staff motivated which will also benefit your patients and your practice. The responsibilities of your dental office staff are crucial to a great dental practice experience. Having the right receptionists, secretaries and dental assistants helps you maintain a smooth running dental practice. First impressions matter and that is why it is very important to have a friendly, informative and communicative experience set up. Create a warm and professional office culture and focus on caring customer service.

New as well as regular patients always want to feel appreciated. Always make sure that each patient is greeted and properly communicated with to ensure a pleasant overall experience - and try to connect with them however you can. Word-of-mouth referrals are one of the easiest and most successful ways to generate new business but you have to take care of the patients you currently have to get these.

Keep Your Patients Happy

Your patients will not only make contact with your front desk team when they set and come in for their appointments but also when they call for information or receive follow-up information. Introductory and follow-up emails are a great tool to welcome a new patient and prepare them for their visit, send them any forms and contact info. they need as well as remind them of upcoming visits or educate them about any procedures they may need.

Having flexibility with appointment times is also important. Remember that every patient has a different schedule so it is important to offer a variety of appointment times to meet their needs.

And the pleasant customer experience should continue with the dentist and dental assistants. Always welcome the new patients to your practice and try to connect with them however you can. Engage and converse with them and provide them with a trustful, pleasant visit. Do what you can to keep your patients happy. Take the time to understand their concerns as well as ask them the right questions and make them feel comfortable about their procedures.

A few things you can do to make your office more comfortable and inviting include having a waiting room with nice furniture, soft lighting and a full range of the latest magazines as well as a section of toys for children.

Remember To Market

There are many ways to market your dental practice and maintain a great online social presence. A professional website is crucial. Make sure that your website is simple, effective, user friendly, inviting to look and communicates with your clients your location, your services, and your contact information. A few nice touches include positive patient testimonials and your dental philosophy. If possible, educate your patients with timely blog posts and news updates.

Other marketing tools that are used by dental practices these days include Facebook and Twitter posts, local print and media advertising, an email newsletter, welcome brochures that describe your dental office and procedures in more detail, and direct mail welcome introductions and reminder cards. Try to incorporate as many of these tools as possible into your marketing strategy.

Long-Term Success

It is important to set long-term goals for your practice. Practice long-term continual improvement by having a strategy and measuring results. Embrace the future by keeping up with the latest trends and practices. Stay updated on your equipment and adopt the latest technologies and products.

And you should always make sure you and your staff are continuously trained. Even after practicing dentistry for many years, continuous education energizes and motivates you and your staff to continue loving what you do. It is important to always continue learning and enhancing what you do that will benefit your patients in ways such as making the dental procedure faster and easier or cause less anxiety and discomfort. Remember, if you stop learning you stop growing!]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/treating-common-gum-condition-reduce-risk-heart-attack-kidney-disease-patients2018-10-21T03:44:22-04:002018-10-21T03:44:22-04:00Treating A Common Gum Condition Could Reduce Risk Of Heart Attack In Kidney Disease PatientsadminTreating a common gum condition in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients could significantly reduce their risk of potentially fatal heart disease, Aston University researchers say. Over 10% of the adult population have CKD and those affected often have poor health outcomes due to an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease compared to the general population. CKD progressively worsens kidney function, raises blood pressure, and can cause progressive vascular injury and heart disease.

Recent research suggests that increased mortality in people with CKD may be linked with chronic inflammatory conditions such as periodontitis, which causes gum inflammation, loss of the bone that supports the teeth and ultimately tooth loss.

Previous studies have revealed that more than 85% of people with CKD have inflammatory gum problems, caused by inadequate removal of dental plaque from between the tooth and gum margin and made worse by impaired immunity and wound healing. Experts have identified that bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream through periodontal conditions, causing blood cells to malfunction and leading to clots and narrowing of the arteries.

Aston academic, Dr. Irundika Dias, is leading a study into the underlying causes of increased cardiovascular disease and outcomes of accelerated progression observed in people with CKD and periodontitis. She will observe how successfully treating periodontitis reduces oxidized lipids and inflammatory cell activity in people with CKD, thereby lowering their risk of life-threatening heart disease.

Dr Dias, of Aston's School of Health and Life Sciences, said: "This project has the potential to make a real difference for people with CKD. If we can prove managing periodontitis reduces the threat of cardiovascular disease then it may well represent an efficient and cost-effective treatment for CKD.

"In conjunction with our study, I will be talking to dental schools about alternative ways of helping periodontitis patients. It is vitally important to keep your gums healthy and have regular dental check-ups to avoid the onset of a disease that is very common, poorly appreciated by the public and causes tooth loss resulting in reduced quality of life."

The study will involve 80 people, including 60 people with CKD, both with and without periodontitis and healthy volunteers. This will include a group of 20 people with CKD and periodontitis who will be randomized to have the gum condition clinically treated over a 12-month period. These volunteers will be reviewed at three monthly intervals to assess markers of cardiovascular disease, such as oxidative stress biomarkers in the blood and arterial stiffness.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/victorian-baby-teeth-help-predict-future-health-children-today2018-10-21T03:44:21-04:002018-10-21T03:44:21-04:00Victorian Baby Teeth Could Help Predict Future Health Of Children Todayadmin
Baby teeth from children who died during the 1845-52 Irish famine could help us predict the future health of children born today, according to new research. Investigators found that the biochemical composition of teeth that were forming in the womb and during a child's early years not only provided insight into the health of the baby's mother, it even showed major differences between those infants who died and those who survived beyond early childhood.

The team from the Universities of Bradford and Durham analyzed the teeth of children and adults from two 19th century cemeteries, one at a Workhouse in Ireland where famine victims were buried and the other in London, which holds the graves of some of those who fled the famine.

They found that the biochemical composition of teeth that were forming in the womb and during a child's early years not only provided insight into the health of the baby's mother, it even showed major differences between those infants who died and those who survived beyond early childhood.

Earlier work led by Dr. Janet Montgomery and Dr. Mandy Jay from Durham's Department of Archaeology found similar results in people living in the Iron Age on the Isle of Skye and in Neolithic Shetland.

These archaeological findings - published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology - are now being tested in baby teeth from children born recently in Bradford and Sudan. If similar patterns can be seen in current day mothers and children, the researchers hope this could lead to a simple test on baby teeth to predict potential health problems in adulthood.

Lead researcher Dr. Julia Beaumont from Bradford's School of Archaeological Sciences explains: "We know that stress and poor diet in mothers, both during pregnancy and after birth, can have an impact on a child's development. In the past that could mean a child didn't survive; now it's more likely to mean a child has a greater risk of health issues in later life. While sometimes there are obvious signs of maternal stress in the baby at birth, such as a low birth weight, that isn't always the case. So a simple test on teeth that are naturally shed by children as they grow could provide useful information about future health risks."

Levels of carbon and nitrogen isotopes within bone and teeth, and the relationship between the two, change with different diets, so baby teeth can reveal clues about the diet of the mother during pregnancy and the diet of the child immediately after birth. The first permanent molar also forms around birth and is retained into adulthood. Each layer of the tooth relates to around four months' growth, starting in the womb, enabling it to be linked to a specific period of a baby's life.

These indicators have also been thought to show when a baby has been breastfed - seen as a healthy start in life. Nitrogen isotope levels are higher in people on protein rich diets and in breastfed babies, and lower for vegetarian diets.

However, in the samples taken from the famine cemetery, the results were counterintuitive. The babies who showed higher nitrogen isotope levels at birth didn't survive into adulthood. Those who did survive had lower and more stable nitrogen isotope levels throughout early childhood.

Similar results were found amongst Victorians buried in the London cemetery who lived during a period of high rates of infant death and amongst the prehistoric people in Scotland. Dr. Beaumont believes that, far from being an indicator of a good start in life, the higher nitrogen isotope levels showed that the mothers were malnourished and under stress.

"At the period we studied, it's likely that most babies were breastfed, but only some showed the spike in nitrogen isotope levels normally associated with it," she says. "Where pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are malnourished however, they can recycle their own tissues in order for the baby to grow and then to produce milk to feed it. We believe this produces higher nitrogen isotope levels and is what we're seeing in the samples from the 19th-century cemeteries. Babies born to and breastfed by malnourished mothers do not receive all the nutrients they need, and this is possibly why these babies didn't survive."

Dr. Beaumont now hopes that the insights she's gained from the historical graves can be used to help children in the future. She is currently testing teeth from children through the Born in Bradford project, a long-term study of a cohort of 13,500 children, born between 2007 and 2010, whose health is being tracked from pregnancy through childhood and into adult life. She hopes to be able to correlate nitrogen and carbon isotope levels to the medical history of the mother and the future health of the children.

"We currently cannot analyze any other tissue in the body where the stress we are under before birth and during early childhood is recorded," says Dr. Beaumont. "If we can show that baby teeth, which are lost naturally, provide markers for stress in the first months of life, we could have an important indicator of future health risks, such as diabetes and heart disease."]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/dental-discussion-dr-ana-brightleaf2018-10-21T03:44:21-04:002018-10-21T03:44:21-04:00A Dental Discussion With Dr. Ana BrightleafadminDr. Ana Brightleaf is a Santa Monica, Calif.-based dentist using state-of-the-art dental technology and the latest research in dental science, along with natural health and healing data. As a patient-focused dentistry practice, Dr. Brightleaf offers a whole body approach to dental health. Brightleaf Dental serves clients from all over Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills as well as other communities in Western Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Culver City, Brentwood, Topanga and the greater Southern California area. Brightleaf Dentals mottos is: Dental solutions for a better quality of life!

Tell us about your dental background and experience?

BRIGHTLEAF: I have over 30 years of dental experience with a background in alternative healing. Currently my practice is centered on healing patients with TMJ pain and bite problems that other dentists have been unsuccessful in treating.

What dental methods do you specialize in?

BRIGHTLEAF: In particular we specialize in treating TMJ. I use the Myotronics TENS unit in conjunction with the K-7 computerized scanner to diagnose via measuring muscle EMGs at rest and in function, recording joint sounds via sonography technology and special data collection to find the neuromuscular bite record.

Do you practice any holistic dentistry methods?

BRIGHTLEAF: Yes. Our holistic methods include no-mercury fillings, removal of amalgam safely, BPA-free composite restorations, all-porcelain crowns and onlays, homeopathic remedies, and safe and effective herbal/essential oil toothpastes. We also recommend how to detox from mercury fillings. The most holistic thing that has had the greatest systemic effect is getting the patient's lower jaw in a relaxed position, which in turn gets the head on straight and assists in spinal realignment, cures tinnitus, migraines, neck and back pain, and much more.

What trends do you see in your field?

BRIGHTLEAF: Resistance from the old guard to understanding holistic dentistry and especially neuromuscular dentistry.

What problems do you see the most and what do you try to teach your patients about dental hygiene?

BRIGHTLEAF: The problem I see the most is a bad bite. We teach the standard things about dental hygiene but the difference is we actually do teach it.

What has been the highlight of your career?

BRIGHTLEAF: Learning about neuromuscular dentistry and doing full mouth reconstruction resulting in some truly happy and healthy patients.

For more information visit Brightleaf Dental. ]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/strong-teeth-nanostructures-under-stress-make-teeth-crack-resistant2018-10-21T03:44:20-04:002018-10-21T03:44:20-04:00Strong Teeth: Nanostructures Under Stress Make Teeth Crack Resistantadmin
Human teeth have to serve for a lifetime, despite being subjected to huge forces. But the high failure resistance of dentin in teeth is not fully understood. An interdisciplinary team led by scientists of Charite Universitaetsmedizin Berlin has now analyzed the complex structure of dentin, and they could reveal that the mineral particles are precompressed. The internal stress works against crack propagation and increases resistance of the biostructure.

Engineers use internal stresses to strengthen materials for specific technical purposes. Now it seems that evolution has long known about this trick, and has put it to use in our natural teeth. Unlike bones, which are made partly of living cells, human teeth are not able to repair damage. Their bulk is made of dentin, a bonelike material consisting of mineral nanoparticles. These mineral nanoparticles are embedded in collagen protein fibers with which they are tightly connected. In every tooth, such fibers can be found, and they lie in layers, making teeth tough and damage resistant. Still, it was not well understood, how crack propagation in teeth can be stopped.

Now researchers from Charite Julius-Wolff-Institute, Berlin have been working with partners from Materials Engineering Department of Technische Universitaets Berlin, MPI of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam and Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, to examine these biostructures more closely. They performed micro-beam in-situ stress experiments and analyzed the local orientation of the mineral nanoparticles using the nano-imaging facility of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France.

When the tiny collagen fibers shrink, the attached mineral particles become increasingly compressed, the science team found out. "Our group was able to use changes in humidity to demonstrate how stress appears in the mineral in the collagen fibers, said Dr. Paul Zaslansky from Julius Wolff-Institute of Charite Berlin. "The compressed state helps to prevents cracks from developing and we found that compression takes place in such a way that cracks cannot easily reach the tooth inner parts, which could damage the sensitive pulp. In this manner, compression stress helps to prevent cracks from rushing through the tooth.

The scientists also examined what happens if the tight mineral-protein link is destroyed by heating: In that case, dentin in teeth becomes much weaker. We therefore believe that the balance of stresses between the particles and the protein is important for the extended survival of teeth in the mouth, added Charite scientist Jean-Baptiste Forien.

Their results may explain why artificial tooth replacements usually do not work as well as healthy teeth do: they are simply too passive, lacking the mechanisms found in the natural tooth structures, and consequently fillings cannot sustain the stresses in the mouth as well as teeth do. "Our results might inspire the development of tougher ceramic structures for tooth repair or replacement, Zaslansky added.

Research published in the British Dental Journal shows that Brush DJ, an app designed to encourage youngsters to adopt and maintain an effective oral health care routine using evidence-based techniques, is effective in its aims.

Brush DJ was launched on the Apple App Store at the end of 2011 and in 2013 it was accepted into the NHS Choices Health Apps Library. By February 2015 Brush DJ, which is free with no advertisements or in-app purchases, had been downloaded on more than 197,000 devices in 188 countries. It can be used with any type of toothbrush.

The app plays music for two minutes - the optimum time for brushing teeth - taken from a playlist or randomly from the user's own device or cloud. As well as encouraging tooth brushing for two minutes, it also reminds users to spit out after brushing but not to rinse, sets reminders to brush twice a day, use a mouthwash at other non-brushing times of the day, sets alerts for dental appointments and reminders to change toothbrushes once every three months. Fundamentally, it makes brushing teeth fun for youngsters.

The British Dental Journal research was carried out by a team including a general dental practitioner and NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellow from York, a consultant orthodontist from Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and a lead dental researcher, educator and foundation dean of the Peninsula Dental School from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.

The Research

The research showed that 70 percent of respondents reported their teeth felt cleaner since using the app and 88 percent said that Brush DJ had motivated them to brush their teeth for longer. Ninety percent said they would recommend the app to their friends and family.

The research team concluded that not only had Brush DJ contributed to greater motivation for young people to care for their teeth more effectively, but it also has huge potential as a way to convey important oral health messages and information.

Ben Underwood, dentist, app developer, NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellow and Honorary University Fellow at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, led the study. He said: "Brush DJ showed positive effect across four main themes - motivation, education, compliance and perceived benefits. The results of our study indicate that apps such as Brush DJ are beneficial to users and open the way for further research to extend their use and effectiveness still further."

Professor Elizabeth Kay, Foundation Dean of the Peninsula Dental School from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, was a co-author on the study. She added: "Caries and other dental health conditions are ultimately preventable, and the great thing about an app such as Brush DJ is that we can show that it has a positive effect for children. Bearing in mind that almost 26,000 children a year are aged between five and nine are admitted to hospital for dental treatment in the United Kingdom, for conditions which are on the whole preventable through better understanding and adoption of good oral health routines, the potential for Brush DJ and apps like it to reduce that number is huge. More research based on the findings from this study will help us to develop the app and investigate methods for its more widespread use."

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https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/dr-petra-wilder-smith-pioneers-use-of-laser-technology-to-noninvasively-detect-and-treat-oral-cancers2018-10-21T03:44:17-04:002018-10-21T03:44:17-04:00Dr. Petra Wilder-Smith Pioneers Use Of Laser Technology To Noninvasively Detect And Treat Oral Cancersadmin
Ever since her student days in the dental clinic at Guys Hospital in London, Dr. Petra Wilder-Smith has been looking for ways to do things differently. At the time, regular biopsies were standard practice to monitor precancerous mouth lesions before they possibly metastasized. But in a majority of cases, the patients did not return after the first biopsy. It was just too painful.

I knew there had to be a better way, Wilder-Smith says. She saw the light, so to speak, with the emerging use of lasers for medical purposes. So after gaining her dental surgery license in 1983, Wilder-Smith enrolled at Aachen University in Germany - a leading technological institute in Europe - to earn a doctorate in the applications of light and optics in oral diagnosis.

I thought that this would be the better way, she says. And I was right.

In 1992, Wilder-Smith joined UCIs Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, where shes now director of the dental program and a professor-in-residence. Over the past two decades, she has developed innovative techniques that utilize some of the worlds most sophisticated lasers to noninvasively probe into mouth lesions to determine the growth of cancerous cells and eradicate them.

Petra is widely recognized for her visionary leadership in the pioneering use of optics and photonics technologies for improving oral health, says Bruce Tromberg, director of the Beckman Laser Institute. She has a special combination of abilities as a compassionate clinician with a unique understanding of patient needs, particularly in medically underserved communities.

To advance better methods of tracking and treating oral cancers, Wilder-Smith collaborates with scientists and oncologists at the City of Hope, Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, USC and the University of Pennsylvania; and she has received consistent research funding from the National Institutes of Health, various groups in the U.S. Department of Defense and oral care companies.

Dr. Wilder-Smith is a world leader in the field of optics for oral cancer, says Dr. M.A. Kuriakose, chief of head and neck oncology at the Mazumdar-Shaw Cancer Center in Bangalore, India.

Portable Screening Device

This work on diagnostics and early treatment is especially important for oral cancers, which are caused by a variety of factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, HPV infections, poor diets and the chewing of betel quid, which is common in many parts of Asia. While the survival rates for stage 1 and 2 cancers are over 80 percent, those for stage 3 and 4 cancers are less than 40 percent. And according to Kuriakose, more than 70 percent of oral cancer patients first see a doctor at the latter two stages.

In low-resource nations like India, which has the planets highest burden of oral cancer, the situation is more acute, primarily due to a lack of awareness and - for the poor - access to specialized care. There are some 80,000 new cases of oral cancer annually in the country, and data from the Million Death Study shows that oral cavity cancer accounts for 35 percent of all cancer deaths among Indian men.

Thats why Wilder-Smith and Kuriakose have partnered to develop and test a low-cost, portable screening device that field-workers in India can use to detect possible oral cancer. The technology would enable these people - many of whom rarely see dentists - to receive early-stage care and dramatically improve their outcomes.

A solar-powered device slightly larger than a shoebox, it can take laser images of oral lesions that will be sent via mobile phone to Mazumdar-Shaw - believed to be the largest cancer center in the world - and the Beckman Laser Institute for assessment.

The study is in its first phase. Teams from Beckman and Mazumdar-Shaw have traveled India gauging mobile phone reception, and a prototype of the device has been tested on a small group of patients. Wilder-Smith and Kuriakose say these early-stage efforts are promising, and theyre gearing up for a larger cohort of subjects across the vast nation.

Were in the process of reviewing the data now to figure out where we draw the lines that determine whether a measurement signifies that the tissues are normal or precancerous or malignant, Wilder-Smith says. Were really satisfied with the progress.

Shes already on to the next breakthrough. With a collaborator at the University of Arizona, shes creating a snap-on laser device for smartphones that can also perform lesion analysis in the field. The technology - which would let field-workers easily send test data to a faraway cancer center - is in its experimental phase, and the researchers are seeking funding to support further development.

We are truly advancing methods to remotely use laser technology to diagnose tissues, which can help out both patients and oncologists, says Wilder-Smith, proving once again that shes finding a better way.

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https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/watching-cement-dry-could-help-dental-fillings-last-longer2018-10-21T03:44:11-04:002018-10-21T03:44:11-04:00Watching Cement Dry Could Help Dental Fillings Last Longeradmin
Scientists led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Aberystwyth University have revealed sweet points for dental fillings, where cement used to fill cracks regain elasticity before hardening indefinitely. This could have implications for creating more durable and longer-lasting fillings in the future.

Typical dental glass cement, a United Kingdom innovation, is made from glass powder, liquid polymer and water, and is the preferred non-toxic choice, as defined by the United Nations and EU Commission, to mercury amalgam, which has been used for filling teeth for almost 200 years.

Publishing in the journalNature Communications, the team used nano-level dentistry to measure how cement sets in real-time. They looked at the surface between the hard glass particles and surrounding polymer as the strength of the cement develops.

Guided by computer models, they used intense beams of neutrons from the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) neutron and muon source, to find that dental cement sets in fits and starts rather than hardening continuously. The findings identify sweet points in time: when the cement starts to approach the toughness of the tissue that our teeth are made of and occur in first 12 hours of setting.

Co-author Dr Gregory Chass from QMUL's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences explains: "Most of us have fillings in our teeth and know that a crack means a trip to the dentist for a replacement. Our works opens up the possibility of tailoring the strength of non-mercury cements by homing in on the special setting points to make environmentally-friendly dental fillings that not only last longer but could prevent further tooth decay."

Understanding sweet points of dental cement could lead to better applications of fillings and easier treatment options for patients.

Co-author Professor Neville Greaves from the Department of Physics at Aberystwyth University said: "Dental fillings are really complex materials. Using neutrons we have discovered how mechanical toughness develops, element by element. This is fundamental physics in action for the general good."

The findings could have implications for other industries that use cement, such as construction, and to test toughness in other materials.

Andrew Taylor, Executive Director of STFC's National Laboratories, said: "It is always gratifying to see outcomes such as this coming from science at STFC's facilities and in this case, our neutron and muon source. Neutrons have such a broad range of applications and are used by scientists looking at everything from stresses and strains in plane wings to progressing methods to producing more effective antibiotics. We can see here how a fundamental technique is applied to an everyday issue that we can all identify with."

The research was funded by STFC, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Royal Society of Chemistry, Wuhan University of Technology in China, and TAMOP in Hungary.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/how-to-eliminate-pain-tied-to-tooth-decay2018-10-21T03:44:11-04:002018-10-21T03:44:11-04:00How To Eliminate Pain Tied To Tooth Decayadmin
Dual discoveries at USC propose a promising method to regrow nonliving hard tissue, lessening or even eliminating pain associated with tooth decay, which the National Institutes of Health calls the most prevalent chronic disease.

Janet Moradian-Oldak, a professor at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, has investigated methods to regrow tooth enamel for the past two decades. The process is especially tricky because unlike bone, mature enamel cannot rejuvenate. Tooth enamel is a nonliving tissue.

The a-ha moment came Oct. 22, 2015 when, in collaboration with lead author Sauma Prajapati of USC and other colleagues, she published a study in the Biomaterialsjournal saying matrix metalloproteinase-20, an enzyme found only in teeth, chops up amelogenin proteins, which facilitate organized enamel crystal formation. MMP-20 clears the way for hard material to usurp vacated space.

Her team is the first to define the function of an enzyme for preventing protein occlusion inside a crystal, she said.

"MMP-20 is released at a very early stage of enamel formation," said Moradian-Oldak, the study's senior author. "MMP-20 chops up proteins during the crystallization of enamel. Together with other enzymes, it gets rid of 'sludge' so the enamel making cells in the body can add more mineral and make enamel, the hardest bioceramic in the human body."

Dental Restoration

Moradian-Oldak will couple the MMP-20 discovery with another study published Nov. 2, 2015 in the Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, which concluded an amelogenin-chitosan hydrogel could repair early tooth decay by growing an enamel-like layer that reduces lesions by up to 70 percent.

"Recognizing MMP-20's function in biomineralization is one of the first steps to learning how dental enamel forms in nature," said Qichao Ruan, lead author of the hydrogel study and a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at USC. "The findings regarding MMP-20 not only help us to further understand the mechanisms of enamel formation but they also can be applied in the design of novel biomaterials for future clinical applications in dental restoration or repair."

The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any type of enamel regrowing gel. USC is in pre-clinical trials. Moradian-Oldak said one day people may be able to use an overnight mouth guard or teeth strips saturated with hydrogel to regrow enamel-like substances and reduce teeth sensitivity.

Finding The Right Fix

Products such as toothpaste and mouthwash containing fluoride and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate promote remineralization of initial enamel lesions, however, they need to be used regularly and are more of a tire patch than a real solution, Moradian-Oldak said. It plugs up the problem so people don't feel pain. The gel, however, fills the cracks and holes with an enamel-like substance.

In the United States, 92 percent of adults aged 20 to 64 have had dental decay in their permanent teeth, Moradian-Oldak said. Grinding teeth at night, gum recession and the disappearance of enamel over a lifetime due to demineralizing acidic food and drink are all common problems people everywhere face.

When tested in an environment that mimics an oral cavity's biochemical processes, the gel created a robust attachment, eliminating the threat of secondary cavities in the same spot, Ruan said. The gel could be more effective than traditional crowns, whose adhesion weakens over time, he added.

"Besides biocompatibility and biodegradability, the gel has unique antimicrobial and adhesion properties that are important for dental applications," Ruan said.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/best-way-brush-teeth2018-10-21T03:44:00-04:002018-11-20T15:42:04-05:00What Is The Best Way To Brush Your Teeth?Admin EditorEver wondered the best way to brush teeth? While brushing and flossing regularly is a must, we've compiled a comprehensive list of everything you need to know about how to keep teeth healthy and beautiful for many years to come.

What is Dental Health?

Dental health, also commonly referred to as oral health, revolves around the health of your teeth and gums. Good dental health habits and practices can keep your mouth in tip-top shape and prevent a long list of oral complications, such as gum disease, cavities, bacterial infections, and so on.

Dental health is a consistent practice that begins at birth and continues to play a big role in your overall health for the rest of your life. Best practices include daily oral care and regular visits to a professional dental health practitioner.

Health Problems Caused by Bad Teeth

What goes on inside your mouth can affect other parts of your body. Poor oral hygiene has been linked to a number of different health complications that can negatively impact your overall health and state of physical well-being.

To help you better understand the importance of keeping up with your dental health, we've listed a few of the top health problems caused by bad teeth.

Heart Disease

Negligent flossing habits can lead to a very serious disease of the heart. How is this possible? It's quite simple really: when your oral hygiene is lax, your gums become much more susceptible to bacteria and infection, which enters your bloodstream via your inflamed gums and travels right to your heart.

Dementia

Poor dental health often leads to gingivitis, a bacteria that can easily make its way to the brain and contribute to the development of dementia. Pretty scary stuff!

Other Health Complications

As if cardiovascular disease and dementia weren't enough reason to step up your dental game, the list of risks doesn't stop there. Inadequate oral hygiene habits have also been linked to numerous other health issues like diabetic complications and infections of the respiratory system.

How to Keep Teeth Healthy

The major health risks of negligent oral care are concerning to say the least, but the minor oral complications that can arise can be painful and expensive. Use these tips to keep your teeth healthy and avoid a range of health problems, from pesky cavities to cardiovascular disease.

Brush the Right Way

How you brush your teeth will greatly determine the state of your oral health. The best way to brush teeth is to gently brush in a vertical motion, scrubbing up and down. Refrain from applying too much pressure when you brush and make sure you get every single tooth, front, back, and in between. Experts suggest brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes at a time.

Use the Right Dental Health Products

That dollar aisle toothbrush isn’t going to cut it. Make sure you get the best dental health products to keep your teeth healthy.

Toothbrush: For the most thorough cleaning, opt for a toothbrush that has small to medium-sized soft bristles that are able to get into the gum line crevice and effectively remove foreign particles and bacteria. You don’t need to splurge on any fancy, complicated, electric toothbrushes. All you need is a simple toothbrush that will get the job done.

Floss: You should have enough floss to get in between each tooth without simply transferring gunk and bacteria from one tooth to another. Get enough to use a fresh section of floss for between every tooth and avoid those short little flossy sticks.

Mouthwash: Mouthwash is often overlooked, but is essential to keeping your pearly whites as healthy as possible. Think of mouthwash as the final rinse that removes any remaining traces of residue or bacteria.

Don’t Overdo It

After reading an article like this one, you may be running your tongue over your teeth and feeling the urge to run to the bathroom sink and give your mouth a deep cleaning, but be careful not to overdo it.

Intense oral care that is too rough or too frequent can actually do more harm than good. Neurotic dental habits have the ability to strip your teeth of protective enamel and irritate your gums. Be gentle as you care for your oral health.

Be Mindful of What You Eat

The foods you eat and the liquids you drink can have a huge impact on your oral health. Stay away from sports drinks and energy drinks, which are like acid baths for your teeth. Snack healthy throughout the day and avoid eating a lot of starchy snacks, like potato chips. These kinds of fibrous snacks have a tendency to cling to your teeth for hours after you’ve eaten them, which can result in tooth decay from the combination of prolonged exposure to acid and sugar.

Visit the Dentist Regularly

Routine visits with a professional dental healthcare provider are key to maintaining a healthy mouth. By keeping regular dental appointments, you give your dentist the opportunity to catch and correct any budding complications before they become severe. Your teeth also get a good and thorough cleaning, which reduces a buildup of plaque and bacteria.

It’s important that you go in for a dental exam at least once every six months.

Dental Phobia & How to Overcome It

Dental phobia is much more than a stubborn unwillingness to go to the dentist; this condition affects millions of people all over the world and can seriously hinder the state of your oral health. If you have a fear of the dentist, use these proven tricks to help you overcome your phobia.

Communicate with Your Dentist

Communication is key for overcoming your fear of the dentist. Before your first exam, schedule a consultation with your dentist so you can get to know him or her and have the opportunity to express your concerns. This will help you to feel more comfortable when you’re in the dental chair and your dentist will likely be able to give you a bit of reassurance.

Make a List

Grab a pen and a notebook and put your fears on paper. This will help you to uncover specific fears and better understand your phobia. You may even realize that some of your fears are irrational and you can begin to work through them.

Prepare

Mentally prepare yourself for an upcoming appointment by scripting scenarios, engaging in relaxing activities, and packing a few effective methods of distraction to take with you. By means of distraction, we mean your favorite book, a pair of headphones and a tablet, or a fully charged phone equipped with a music playlist that soothes you.

Take Someone with You

If you’re feeling incredibly anxious before your appointment, you may want to consider taking someone with you to the appointment. A trusted friend or family member by your side can prove to be very useful in stressful situations.

Reward Yourself

It may sound a little juvenile, but employing a reward system is a great way to make your visit to the dentist a more positive experience. Give yourself something to look forward to during your visit, whether you treat yourself to a small indulgence or a full-blown spa day, you definitely deserve it!

It may take some time and experimenting to find the best method that works best for you. However, adopting a thorough oral health routine into your daily schedule will be well worth the trouble in the long run. With these tips and the right oral health products, you’ll be able to keep your teeth healthy and beautiful.

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https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/receding-gums-stages-dangers-health-risks2018-10-21T03:43:09-04:002018-10-21T03:43:09-04:00Receding Gums Stages, Dangers And Health RisksadminMore]]>
Recession is measured by the distance between the margin of your crown - where the enamel tapers off called the cementoenamel junction - and the level of the gums.

Gum recession is measured in the following categories:

Class I Mild gum recession. There is no bone loss or loss of tissue between the teeth.

Class II Gum recession extends toward the border of attached and loose gingiva. There is no bone loss or loss of tissue between the teeth.

Class III Gum recession extends past the border of attached and loose gingiva. Bone loss or loss of tissue between the teeth is evident. The root is partially covered.

Class IV Severe gum recession that is associated with gross loss of bone. There is no root coverage.

Receded gums are measured in terms of attachment loss. Simply having mild gum recession does not mean you are in the clear for gum disease. You may have mild recession with just one to two millimeters of exposed root surface, but a very deep pocket under the gum lines that is symptomatic of severe periodontitis. However, severe gum recession also means there obviously cannot be enough bone support on that portion of the tooth, meaning tooth stability is at risk. The more moderate to severe your gum recession, the more susceptible your tooth is to mobility and loss.

Dangers And Health Risks

Gum recession is a key factor in maintaining healthy tooth stability. Losing attachment levels around a tooth can ultimately lead to tooth loss, which also affects the adjacent teeth in the area. If recession is due to habits such as abrasive brushing, grinding, clenching or tobacco use, it is important to halt these before even more loss can occur.

Receded gums can also be a signal that you are suffering from gum disease. Healthy gums are tightly attached to the teeth near the margin of the dental crown, with no exposed root surfaces. If inflammation, bleeding, redness or sore gums are associated with your receded gums, it is likely that you are suffering from periodontitis. This severe form of gum disease is directly associated with health risks and conditions such as:

Heart attack

Stroke

Obesity

Diabetes

Erectile dysfunction

Preterm labor

Gum recession may be slow, or it may be very progressive. Most recession is usually noticed when you have already lost two millimeters of attachment around the tooth, leaving a mild amount of root surface exposed. The more severe your gum disease, the quicker you will see the attachment levels being lost. If the cause of your recession is due to grinding or abrasive brushing, the signals may take longer to appear.

Any signs of recession during orthodontic treatment should immediately be brought to the attention of your orthodontist. Recession during orthodontic therapy is a sign that movement is occurring at too rapid of a rate, with gum and bone levels not being able to keep up with the repositioning.

Try the all-natural liquid toothpaste with a handcrafted blend of 100% pure cold pressed botanical almond, spearmint and carefully-aged peppermint oils. It naturally helps clean your teeth and gums by eliminating bacteria-causing germs and plaque while leaving you with fresh breath. Click here]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/study-secrets-tooth-calcium-revealed2018-10-21T03:43:08-04:002018-10-21T03:43:08-04:00Study: The Secrets Of Tooth Calcium RevealedadminMore]]>
Two studies on calcium isotopes in teeth have provided new insights into both the extinction of the marine reptiles and weaning age in humans. The findings of these studies, conducted by CNRS researchers at Lyon ENS and Universit Claude Bernard Lyon, were published, recently inCurrent BiologyandPNAS. They open new avenues for research in anthropology and paleontology.

A new method for measuring proportions of stable calcium isotopes has just been developed by a team of geochemists, in particular involving the Laboratoire de gologie de Lyon: Terre, plantes et environnement (ENS Lyon/CNRS/Universit Claude Bernard Lyon 1). This high precision method allows new scientific advances in all kinds of domains, such as estimating weaning age in humans from milk teeth or finding a new explanation for the extinction of marine reptiles.

Calcium is the main constituent of our bones and teeth. There are six stable isotopes of this element on Earth. These isotopes do not generate natural radioactivity, but make it possible to identify chemical reactions through their specific signatures, which are formed by the fractionation of the different calcium isotopes during biological processes and are all the more marked in bones and teeth. The method used by the researchers is therefore to analyze the degree of isotopic fractionation in these tissues.

New Measuring Method

Breast milk is the substance in which calcium isotopes are most fractionated. Thus, by analyzing milk teeth, it is possible to trace someone's diet in the early years of their life. The more milk in the diet, the more the dental calcium contains light isotopes. By cutting into milk teeth and measuring isotopic ratios using a mass spectrometer, the researchers observed that teeth begin mineralization with very considerable isotopic differences and that these values maintain stable proportions until weaning.

By knowing the speed at which tooth enamel is formed, researchers have been able to develop a way to estimate weaning age in our ancestors. This new method could allow anthropologists to better understand hominid community structures.

In another field, isotopic analysis of dental calcium allowed researchers to show that on the eve of the extinction of the dinosaurs, large marine reptiles were at the top of the marine food chain. This study suggests that this competitive situation could be the reason for their disappearance, as a result of the scarcity of their shared source of food.

In a previous study in 2015, CNRS researcher Vincent Balter and his colleagues had already noticed that the proportions of stable calcium isotopes in the tooth calcium of marine animals varied progressively from the bottom to the top of the food chain. The researchers analyzed the proportions of stable calcium isotopes in fish teeth, turtle shells, sharks and marine reptiles from a paleontological site in Morocco. Fossils over 65 million years old were chemically treated before analysis to avoid bias caused by fossilization.

The research team was able to show that fish, turtles and sharks had the same proportions of stable calcium isotopes as they do today. On the contrary, large marine reptiles - elasmosaurs and mosasaurs - had proportions characteristic of today's large white sharks, and were therefore at the top of the marine food chain before their extinction.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/treatments-for-gingivitis2018-10-21T03:43:07-04:002018-10-21T03:43:07-04:00Treatments For GingivitisadminMore]]>

Gingivitis is the inflammation of the tissues that both support and surround the teeth, otherwise known as gums. This occurs typically when a person has poor oral hygiene. It is actually a fairly common condition that runs the gamut of severity. Many who experience varying degrees of the ailment experience bleeding gums; some experience just a bit of soreness while others may actually have painful, blood-filled blisters on their gums.

Those who smoke or chew tobacco have a higher risk of suffering from this condition and also may have it longer as it won't heal as rapidly for those who partake in these bad habits. Here are some natural and over-the-counter solutions to this issue.

Green Tea

Due to the natural antioxidants present in green tea, it's actually very good for oral health. If you are suffering from gingivitis, you may also be suffering from bad breath, which is a common side effect of the issue. Green tea is also known to reduce the inflammation that is present in the body. This will intrinsically help to lessen the reaction your gums are having. It will soothe them and also help provide them with soothing nutrients.

Hydrogen Peroxide

One of the reasons that gingivitis is so prevalent is due to the amount of bacteria that resides in our mouths at any given time. The mouth is full of bacteria and when that bacteria is not properly balanced or gotten rid of, it can cause a problem for the teeth, gums and tongue. This is why proper hygiene is so undoubtedly essential because without it, we would all have mouths filled with bacteria. You can use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash. Pour a teaspoon into some warm water and rinse your mouth as usual. Ensure you do not swallow the liquid.

Baking Soda

Baking soda can be used for a myriad of different purposes. It is one of the most multifaceted products on the market. It's very inexpensive and virtually harmless. If you are looking for a way to treat your gingivitis, try using baking soda and water to brush your teeth. There are various benefits associated with using baking soda. Some people use it to naturally whiten teeth. It can also naturally help to neutralize the acids that occur in the mouth which help gingivitis flourish.

Oil Pulling

An ancient practice that has many health benefits associated with it, oil pulling helps to reduce the amount of bacteria that exists in the mouth and around the teeth. You can use any type of vegetable oil such as sesame, coconut or avocado oil. Using the oil as a rinse for your mouth will help to eliminate pesky bacteria. Make sure to keep the oil in for at least 15 seconds. Rinse your mouth with warm water after the process to further rid your mouth of the bacteria that causes gingivitis.

Postmenopausal women who have a history of gum disease also have a higher risk of cancer, according to a recent study of more than 65,000 women.

The study, led by researchers at the University at Buffalo, is the first national study of its kind involving U.S. women, and the first to focus specifically on older women. Its also the first study to find an association between periodontal disease and gallbladder cancer risk in women or men. The findings were published Aug. 1, 2017 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

This study is the first national study focused on women, particularly older women, said Jean Wactawski-Wende, the studys senior author, dean of UBs School of Public Health and Health Professions and a professor of epidemiology and environmental health. Our study was sufficiently large and detailed enough to examine not just overall risk of cancer among older women with periodontal disease, but also to provide useful information on a number of cancer-specific sites.

Periodontal Disease Link

The study included 65,869 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Womens Health Initiative, an ongoing national prospective study designed to investigate factors affecting disease and death risk in older American women. The average age of the participants was 68, and most were non-Hispanic white women.

As part of a follow-up health questionnaire, participants were asked Has a dentist or dental hygienist ever told you that you had periodontal or gum disease?

Women who reported a history of gum disease had a 14 percent increased risk of overall cancer. Of the 7,149 cancers that occurred in the study participants, the majority - or 2,416 - were breast cancer.

There is increasing evidence that periodontal disease may be linked to an increased cancer risk and this association warrants further investigation, said the papers first author, Ngozi Nwizu, who worked on the research while completing her residency in oral and maxillofacial pathology in UBs School of Dental Medicine and her doctorate in pathology (cancer epidemiology) at UBs Roswell Park Cancer Institute Graduate Division. Nwizu is now an assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

The risk associated with periodontal disease was highest for esophageal cancer, the researchers reported. The esophagus is in close proximity to the oral cavity, and so periodontal pathogens may more easily gain access to and infect the esophageal mucosa and promote cancer risk at that site, Wactawski-Wende said.

Gallbladder cancer risk also was high in women who reported a history of gum disease. Chronic inflammation has also been implicated in gallbladder cancer, but there has been no data on the association between periodontal disease and gallbladder risk. Ours is the first study to report on such an association, Nwizu said.

The esophageal and gallbladder cancer findings are significant, Nwizu said. Esophageal cancer ranks among the most deadly cancers and its etiology is not well known, but chronic inflammation has been implicated, she said.

Certain periodontal bacteria have been shown to promote inflammation even in tiny amounts, and these bacteria have been isolated from many organ systems and some cancers including esophageal cancers. It is important to establish if periodontal disease is an important risk of esophageal cancer, so that appropriate preventive measures can be promoted.

Periodontal disease also was associated with total cancer risk among former and current smokers. The findings for this particular age group are significant because they offer a window into disease in a population of Americans that continues to increase as people live longer lives.

The elderly are more disproportionately affected by periodontal disease than other age groups, and for most types of cancers, the process of carcinogenesis usually occurs over many years, said Nwizu. So the adverse effects of periodontal disease are more likely to be seen among postmenopausal women, simply because of their older age.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/new-dental-imaging-method-uses-squid-ink-fish-gum-disease2018-10-21T03:43:05-04:002018-10-21T03:43:05-04:00New Dental Imaging Method Uses Squid Ink To Fish For Gum DiseaseadminMore]]>
Squid ink might be a great ingredient to make black pasta, but it could also one day make getting checked for gum disease at the dentist less tedious and even painless. By combining squid ink with light and ultrasound, a team led by engineers at the University of California San Diego has developed a new dental imaging method to examine a patients gums that is non-invasive, more comprehensive and more accurate than the state of the art.

The last time I was at the dentist, I realized that the tools that are currently being used to image teeth and gums could use significant updating, said Jesse Jokerst, a nanoengineering professor at UC San Diego and senior author of the study.

Pocket Depth Measuring

The conventional method for dentists to assess gum health is to use an instrument called a periodontal probe - a thin, hook-like metal tool thats marked like a tiny measuring stick and inserted in between the teeth and gums to see whether and how much the gums have shrunk back from the teeth, creating pockets. This method of measuring pocket depth is the gold standard used in dentistry. A pocket depth measuring one to two millimeters indicates healthy gums while three millimeters and deeper is a sign of gum disease. The deeper the pockets, the more severe the gum disease.

However, procedures using the periodontal probe are invasive, uncomfortable and sometimes painful for the patient. Measurements can also vary greatly between dentists, and the probe is only capable of measuring the pocket depth of one spot at a time.

In a paper published on Sept. 7, 2017 in theJournal of Dental Research, Jokerst and his team at UC San Diego introduced an innovative method that can image the entire pocket depth around the teeth consistently and accurately, without requiring any painful poking and prodding.

Using the periodontal probe is like examining a dark room with just a flashlight and you can only see one area at a time. With our method, its like flipping on all the light switches so you can see the entire room all at once, Jokerst said.

Ultrasound Detection

The method begins by rinsing the mouth with a paste made of commercially available food-grade squid ink mixed with water and cornstarch. The squid-ink-based rinse serves as a contrast agent for an imaging technique called photoacoustic ultrasound. This involves shining a light signal - usually a short laser pulse - onto a sample, which heats up and expands, generating an acoustic signal that researchers can analyze. Light in, sound out, Jokerst said.

Squid ink naturally contains melanin nanoparticles, which absorb light. During the oral rinse, the melanin nanoparticles get trapped in the pockets between the teeth and gums. When researchers shine a laser light onto the area, the squid ink heats up and quickly swells, creating pressure differences in the gum pockets that can be detected using ultrasound. This method enables researchers to create a full map of the pocket depth around each tooth - a significant improvement over the conventional method.

Researchers tested their photoacoustic imaging method in a pig model containing a mix of shallow and deep pockets in the gums. While their results closely matched measurements taken using a periodontal probe, they were also consistent across multiple tests. On the other hand, measurements with the periodontal probe varied significantly from one test to another. Its remarkable how reproducible this technique is compared to the gold standard, Jokerst said.

Moving forward, the team will be collaborating with dentists and testing their method in humans. Future work also includes minimizing the taste of the squid ink oral rinse - its salty and somewhat bitter - and replacing laser lights with inexpensive, more portable light systems like LEDs. The teams ultimate goal is to create a mouthpiece that uses this technology to measure periodontal health.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/synthetic-tooth-enamel-may-lead-resilient-structures2018-10-21T03:43:03-04:002018-10-21T03:43:03-04:00Synthetic Tooth Enamel May Lead To More Resilient StructuresadminMore]]>
Unavoidable vibrations, such as those on airplanes, cause rigid structures to age and crack, but researchers at the University of Michigan may have an answer for that - design them more like tooth enamel, which could lead to more resilient flight computers, for instance. Most materials that effectively absorb vibration are soft, so they don't make good structural components such as beams, chassis or motherboards. For inspiration on how to make hard materials that survive repeated shocks, the researchers looked to nature.

"Artificial enamel is better than solid commercial and experimental materials that are aimed at the same vibration damping," said Nicholas Kotov, the Joseph B. and Florence V. Cejka Professor of Chemical Engineering. "It's lighter, more effective and, perhaps, less expensive."

Evolutions Design

He and his team didn't settle on enamel immediately. They examined many structures in animals that had to withstand shocks and vibrations: bones, shells, carapaces and teeth. These living structures changed from species to species and over the eons. Tooth enamel told a different story. Under an electron microscope, it shared a similar structure whether it came from a Tyrannosaurus, a walrus, a sea urchin or Kotov himself - he contributed his own wisdom tooth to the effort. "To me, this is opposite to what's happening with every other tissue in the process of evolution," he said. "Their structures diversified tremendously but not the structure of enamel."

Evolution had hit on a design that worked for pretty much everyone with teeth. And unlike bone, which can be repaired, enamel had to last the lifetime of the tooth - years, decades or longer still. It must withstand repeated stresses and general vibrations without cracking. Enamel is made of columns of ceramic crystals infiltrated with a matrix of proteins, set into a hard protective coating. This layer is sometimes repeated, made thicker in the teeth that have to be tougher.

The reason why this structure is effective at absorbing vibrations, Kotov explained, is that the stiff nanoscale columns bending under stress from above create a lot of friction with the softer polymer surrounding them within the enamel. The large contact area between the ceramic and protein components further increases the dissipation of energy that might otherwise damage it.

Recreating Enamel

Bongjun Yeom, a postdoctoral researcher in Kotov's lab, recreated the enamel structure by growing zinc oxide nanowires on a chip. Then he layered two polymers over the nanowires, spinning the chip to spread out the liquid and baking it to cure the plastic between coats. It took 40 layers to build up a single micrometer, or one thousandth of a millimeter, of enamel-like structure. Then, they laid down another layer of zinc oxide nanowires and filled it in with 40 layers of polymer, repeating the whole process up to 20 times.

Even molecular or nanoscale gaps between the polymer and ceramic would reduce the strength of material and the intensity of the friction, but the painstaking layering ensured the surfaces were perfectly mated. "The marvelous mechanical properties of biological materials stem from great molecular and nanoscale adaptation of soft structures to hard ones and vice versa," Kotov said.

Kotov's group demonstrated that their synthetic tooth enamel approached the ability of real tooth enamel to defend itself from damage due to vibrations. Computer modeling of the synthetic enamel, performed by researchers at Michigan Technological University and the Illinois Applied Research Institute, confirmed that the structure diffused the forces from vibrations through the interaction between the polymer and columns.

From the project's inception as a challenge from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Kotov worked with fellow materials heavyweights Ellen Arruda, U-M professor of mechanical engineering, and Anthony Waas, the Felix Pawlowski Collegiate Professor Emeritus.

Kotov hopes to see the synthetic enamel deployed in airplanes and other environments in which vibrations are inescapable, protecting structures and electronics. The challenge, he said, will be automating the production of the material.

The paper is titled Abiotic Tooth Enamel and will be published in the journalNature.]]>
https://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/blogs/dental-news/dentists-get-cracking-stem-cell-front2018-10-21T03:42:59-04:002018-10-21T03:42:59-04:00Dentists Get Cracking On The Stem Cell FrontadminMore]]>
Stem cells. Few research discoveries hold as much promise of single-handedly expanding medical treatment options as they do. Miraculously able to act as transformers - either re-creating or morphing into a variety of cell types found within the organisms they originate from - stem cells offer humanity hope for new, more effective therapies against a number of chronic and terminal diseases. And finding them is surprisingly easy.

Stem cells can be extracted from nearly any living tissue, says Dr. James Mah, director of UNLVs advanced education program in orthodontics, doctor of dental surgery, and dental researcher. In fact, stem cells can even be found in tissues of the deceased. But in spite of all their potential, theres a catch: The biggest challenges with stem cells are gathering enough of them to work with and keeping them viable until they are needed, Dr. Mah said.

He and UNLV biomedical sciences professor Karl Kingsley - along with a handful of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral dental students - decided to take on this challenge, cutting their teeth in stem cell research by exploring those pearly whites in new ways. In the process, they developed a new method for extracting large numbers of stem cells they could then preserve from a surprisingly abundant source: wisdom teeth.

More and more adults - approximately 5 million throughout the country - have their wisdom teeth, or third molars, removed, Kingsley said. Extracting teeth is relatively common among patients undergoing orthodontic treatments. And the majority of those teeth are healthy, containing viable tooth root pulp that offers opportunities for reproducing cells that have been damaged or destroyed by injuries or disease.

A Tough Nut To Crack

Tooth root pulp is home to two types of prized stem cells. The first, pluripotent stem cells, have the ability to become any cell in the organism from which theyre drawn. The second, multi-potent stem cells, transform into specific types of cells within that organism. Knowing where to find these cells was one thing. Recovering them, the researchers knew, would be another.

Common methods for extracting root pulp involve drilling into, removing the top of, or shattering the tooth. Each method has its detriments, Dr. Mah said, all of which lead to a low stem-cell recovery rate: damaging heat from drilling, corrosive elements in the water teeth are rinsed in, contaminating enamel particulates, and more. So the researchers sought to discover how to extract pulp in a manner that consistently produced a higher yield. Initially, the answer seemed simple: crack the tooth in half like a nut and remove the pulp, Dr. Mah said.

Unfortunately, teeth have irregular surfaces and non-uniform shapes, so cracking teeth usually produces the same shattering effect as a hammer, thereby reducing the number of viable stem cells.

Happy Ghag, then a dental student working with Dr. Mah and Kingsley on the project, thought he might have solution to the dilemma. He approached Mohamed Trabia, UNLV Howard R. Hughes College of Engineerings associate dean for research, graduate studies, and computing, and Brendan OToole, Mendenhall Innovation Program director and mechanical engineering researcher, to discuss fracture analysis.

Happy had reviewed fracture mechanics literature and decided on a technique that scored the tooth to enable a clean break, similar to the process for custom-cut glass, OToole said. After a few discussions, some of Engineerings personnel helped Ghag fabricate the device.

The completed instrument, which the research team facetiously dubbed the Tooth Cracker 5000, uses a clamp to hold a tooth in position for a cutting tool to score the surface and a blade to crack it. The result: a perfectly halved tooth, with immediate access to undamaged and uncontaminated root pulp. For OToole, this was just another successful collaboration between the two units, as mechanical engineering had been interacting with the School of Dental Medicines orthodontic program for a few years.

Orthodontics, by definition, is a bioengineering topic, OToole said. They design and place mechanisms in peoples mouths that help move teeth into optimum position. The interaction between our departments makes a lot of sense. With the Tooth Cracker 5000 complete, Dr. Mah and Kingsley tested the fracture rate of 25 teeth, achieving a 100 percent rate of success. The fracture idea and design prototype had worked perfectly.

Excavating For Success

Now that the researchers had cracked the challenge of accessing the root pulp, it was on to determining how many viable stem cells they could recover from the fractured teeth. Average pulp recovery rates employing common extraction methods - shattering, drilling, etc. - come in at around 20 percent, Dr. Mah noted.

It was time to test the mettle of their new fracture method. Dr. Mah and Kingsley dyed 31 fractured teeth pulp samples to highlight any viable stem cells the teeth contained. Dead cells would turn blue when exposed to the dye. Living cells would appear clear. They looked under the microscope. Eighty percent of their extracted cells remained clear after the dye was introduced.

Saying the test results were promising is a gross understatement, Dr. Mah said. We realized wed invented an extraction process that produced four times the recovery success rate for viable stem cells. The potential application is enormous.

Replicating For A Rainy Day

After mastering fracturing and extraction, it was time for the team to determine what kind of stem cells could be harvested and how best to store them.

Normal cells within the body typically die after 10 replications or passages, whereas stem cells can replicate indefinitely, Kingsley indicated. To isolate the stem cells from the rest of the root pulp, the researchers harvested cells from the pulp and cultured them on a petri dish. Once the cells covered the dish, they split the culture in half and repeated the process between 10 and 20 times.

By the end of the culturing, all non-stem cells had expired. Kingsley captured the remaining stem cells and collected their ribonucleic acid (RNA), which is converted into proteins that become biomarkers his team could use to characterize each stem cell type and its respective rate of replication.

Scientists around the world are trying to figure out what type of stem cells can be coaxed into becoming new cells or different tissue types, Kingsley said. We already know some populations of dental pulp stem cells can be converted into neurons, which could become therapies for cognitive diseases such as Alzheimers or Parkinsons.

Kingsley noted that teams of scientists around the world are working with animal models to test using stem cells to treat neurological conditions. Early indications, he said, are positive. Although there is still a need for additional tests, Kingsley indicated that the next logical step in this research would be to test stem cells in humans to treat any number of chronic illnesses people face.

There are potential applications of stem cells for multiple diseases, including cancer, arthritis, and lung disease, Kingsley said. The next challenge is reliably collecting the stem cells early enough and storing them successfully so they can be used when needed.

Preserving The Prize

According to multiple studies, the number of pluripotent stem cells found in teeth decrease dramatically after adults reach the age of 30, Kingsley said. However, people could donate stem cells found in their teeth much like they may donate their blood prior to a surgical procedure or preserve their umbilical cords. If people elected to have their wisdom teeth removed or were having a root canal performed, their stem cells could be harvested at that time and stored for future use.

Creating that possibility has led Dr. Mah and Kingsley to the next step in their research: the cryogenic process. There is no standard cryogenesis, or freezing process, for storing stem cells, Kingsley said. There are multiple organizations that collect and freeze teeth for future studies and use, but there is no evidence about the long-term effects of cryopreservation. We cant answer yet just how long the cells will survive.

In 2011, dental student Allison Tomlin studied different populations of stem cells and their viability after being thawed. Every year since, Kingsley and his team have thawed a portion of Tomlins sample and evaluated the viability of remaining stem cells.

Initial findings - which Kingsley, Tomlin, and R. Michael Sanders, clinical sciences professor in the dental school, published in theirBiomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineeringarticle The Effects of Cryopreservation on Human Dental Pulp-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells - indicate that rapidly dividing cells have higher rates of viability year after year compared to slower dividing cells. If these results remain constant, the stem cells could be sorted before the freezing process based on when they might be needed.

The work Dr. Kingsley and I are doing is part of a paradigm shift, Dr. Mah said. Our fracturing process could hasten the collection and cryogenesis process, thereby preserving a high stem-cell count that furthers research into how using these cells can aid healing and potentially cure diseases.]]>